25 Free Tips for Marketing your Blog

25 Secrets to Making Your Blog Shine and Attract Readers

Let’s face it—every day, countless new blogs pop up, and it’s easy to wonder how yours can stand out. The good news? The key is delivering quality content. And yes, with great content comes the potential for ad revenue! Of course, it’s not always that straightforward.

We’ve gathered a list of actionable tips to help you navigate the world of blog marketing. While we can’t promise instant magic—no guaranteed click-through ratios or ad karma here!—these strategies can help make your blog more user-friendly, accessible, and rich in great content.

Whether your blog is a personal passion project or a professional endeavor, many of these tactics apply across the board. So, let’s dive in!

Your Blog Optimization Cheat Sheet

  1. Pick a Domain Name That Stands Out
    Decide if your blog will have its own domain (e.g., www.myblog.com), live as a section of an existing site (www.mysite.com/blog), or use a subdomain (blog.mysite.com). Steer clear of platforms that won’t let you customize your domain name!
  2. Get the Right Tools
    Install blog software that’s customizable—WordPress and Movable Type are top-notch options.
  3. Design with Personality
    Customize your blog’s look and feel. A good design keeps readers coming back!
  4. Keyword Research is Key
    Build a glossary of important keywords using tools like Keyword Discovery, WordTracker, or SEOBook. These will guide your content creation.
  5. Optimize Like a Pro
    • Fine-tune templates: Add RSS subscriptions, social bookmarking buttons, unique title tags, and sitemaps.
    • Use plugins that enhance your blog’s functionality (specific ones for WordPress or Movable Type are gold).
    • Create keyword-rich categories based on your research.
  6. Enable Trackbacks and Pings
    These features help you notify other blogs when you link to them—great for visibility!
  7. Set Up Feedburner Pro
    Enable feed tracking so you can monitor who’s tuning in to your blog’s updates.
  8. Get Google-Ready
    Create a Google account to set up and validate your sitemap. It’s a small step now, but hugely helpful for future submissions.
  9. Build Relationships with Key Players
    Identify authoritative blogs, websites, and communities in your niche. Link to them in your blogroll or posts.
  10. Organize Your Archives
    Format old posts and include related content suggestions to keep readers exploring.
  11. Track Your Success
    Use analytics tools like Google Analytics or ClickTracks to monitor performance.
  12. Spread the Word
    Submit your RSS feed and blog URL to popular directories and search engines.
  13. Link-Building is Your Friend
    Consistently work on building links—think guest posts, partnerships, and mentions on other sites.
  14. Explore Podcasts and Videos
    If you create multimedia content, don’t forget to submit to directories for podcasts and vlogs.
  15. Use Paid Directories Wisely
    Invest in submitting to trusted paid directories like Yahoo or BOTW that cater to blogs.
  16. Get the Media Involved
    Distribute an optimized press release to announce your blog and its purpose.
  17. Ask for Feedback
    Join forums or discussion groups and request reviews. Have a helpful post? Share it—it’s a great way to build credibility.
  18. Comment and Engage
    Leave thoughtful comments on industry-related blogs, especially those with significant influence.
  19. Stay Consistent
    Post regularly! For newsy blogs, aim for 3–5 posts daily. For authority blogs, 3–5 posts weekly—but make them unique and valuable.
  20. Monitor Mentions
    Keep track of who’s linking to you or talking about your blog with tools like Google Alerts, Technorati, or Blogpulse.
  21. Be Part of the Conversation
    Respond to comments on your blog, and when another blogger mentions you, leave a thank-you note on their post.
  22. Network with Fellow Bloggers
    Build connections both online and offline. Relationships matter!
  23. Always Give Credit
    Link to your sources, mention notable bloggers by name, and use keywords strategically in titles and anchor text.
  24. Leverage Social Networking
    Join social platforms, forums, and communities. When others like your content, they’ll share it!
  25. Spread the Word Offline
    Just like websites in the early days, make sure your blog’s URL appears anywhere you’d list your contact info—business cards, email signatures, brochures, and beyond.